1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of mechanisms for moving solid materials, and particularly for moving solid materials into or out of reaction chambers operating at high pressures such as the primary reactors for cyclic char burning engines.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Examples of prior art mechanisms for moving solid materials into or out of reaction chambers operating at high pressures are described in the following references:
a. "Fuel Gasification", Advances in Chemistry Series 69, American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C., 1967; Page 33, FIG. 1; Page 59, FIG. 5; Page 107, FIG. 2; PA1 b. "Gas Engines and Producers", L. S. Marks and H. S. McDewell, American Technical Society, Chicago, 1919; Part II; Page 18, FIG. 8; Page 40, FIG. 27; PA1 c. U.S. Pat. No. 4,412,511; Firey, Nov. 1, 1983; FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 7, 10, 13, 14, 16, PA1 d. U.S. Pat. No. 4,455,837; Firey, Jun. 26, 1984; FIGS. 3, 8, 9, 15, PA1 e. U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,970; Firey, Apr. 29, 1986; FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 13, PA1 f. U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,436; Firey, Mar. 31, 1987; FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5,
Of the various prior art mechanisms described in these and other references, all transfer the solid material into or out of the high pressure reaction chamber in a single transfer step, wherein the solids being transferred necessarily slide across the seals for sealing the chamber. When abrasive solids are thusly transferred, this sliding wears away the seals and, in consequence, frequent and costly replacement of seals is necessary. These seal wear problems are aggravated in those cyclic char burning engines, and cyclic velox boilers, which use additions of ceramic chips and basic ceramics to the char fuel for the purposes of improving the char fuel reactions with air and for reducing emissions of acid rain components. It would be beneficial to have available a solids transfer mechanism which minimized or avoided the sliding of solid materials across the seals.